INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING
An electronic device which comprises a lead frame comprising at least one clip, a capacitor comprising at least one terminal, the at least one terminal being received in the at least one clip, and a semiconductor chip attached to the lead frame.
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This application relates to an electronic device and a method of producing the electronic device.
In a known electronic device, there is provided a semiconductor chip for signal processing. The semiconductor chip is mounted onto a lead frame of the electronic device and is also encapsulated by a molding compound for protecting the semiconductor chip.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the present invention and many of the intended advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.
In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
The electronic device 10 includes a semiconductor chip 3 with an external capacitor 4 on a lead frame 2. The semiconductor chip 3 is placed on the lead frame 2. The capacitor 4 is mounted on the lead frame 2, which is therefore provided with a mounting base 5 and with a first clip 6. The mounting base 5 is closely attached to the capacitor 4. The first clip 6 extends upwards from the lead frame 2. This is better seen in
The mounting base 5 and the first clip 6 are integrally formed with the lead frame 2. The first clip 6 holds the capacitor 4 to the lead frame 2, whilst the mounting base 5 supports the capacitor 4. The mounting base 5 further electrically connects the lead frame 2 to a first terminal 7 of the capacitor 4, whilst the first clip 6 electrically connects the lead frame 2 to a first terminal 7 of the capacitor 4.
In one embodiment, the capacitor 4 provides electric power to the semiconductor chip 3 when external power supply to the semiconductor chip 3 is interrupted. The external power supply can be interrupted by mechanical shocks, vibrations or electromagnetic interferences. Hence, the semiconductor chip 3 maintains continuous electronic operation based on electric power supply from the capacitor 4 when interruptions of the external power supply occur.
The capacitor 4 is an electronic component with large structures that cannot be integrated into the semiconductor chip 3. The embodiment provides stable mechanical structures and electrical connections that couple the large capacitor 4 to the semiconductor chip 3, thereby providing continuous electronic operation of the electronic device 10.
During manufacturing processes of the electronic device 10, the lead frame 2 is firstly provided. The capacitor 4 is later clip fastened to the first clip 6. The semiconductor chip 3 is further connected to the lead frame 2.
Although the clip fastening of the embodiment can couple the capacitor 4 to the lead frame 2 effectively, it is possible to use epoxy material for mechanically holding and electrically connecting the capacitor 4 to the lead frame 2. When the epoxy material is used, there are several extra manufacturing processes required. A first process is an epoxy dispensing process in which the epoxy material is dispensed onto areas of a lead frame by an epoxy dispensing unit. The following process is a capacitor bonding process in which the capacitor is put onto the epoxy material dispensed areas. A curing process is the third process, in which epoxy material between the capacitor and the lead frame is cured in an oven for a predetermined period of time. The curing process is also called a pre-molding process. The subsequent fourth process is a molding process in which the capacitor is encapsulated for increasing package rigidity. The resulting device is further cured in an oven to enhance package rigidity, which is the fifth process of post-molding curing process.
Instead of bonding the capacitor to the lead frame with epoxy material, the embodiment of
The process of clip fastening improves quality and reliability of the electronic device 10. This is because the clip fastening of the embodiment provides reliable mechanical holding and electrical connection to the capacitor 4. Furthermore, manufacturing lead-time and cycle-time of the embodiment can be made short. Time consuming curing processes and encapsulation process related to the epoxy material application are not necessary for the clip fastened embodiment process. When the epoxy material would be additionally used, any weak bonding of the epoxy material does not affect quality and reliability of the clip fastened capacitor.
Short-circuiting between the first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 is prevented in the embodiment. The epoxy material is not required for providing electrical connection between the lead frame 2 and the capacitor 4 in the embodiment. As an extra process, electrically conductive epoxy material could still be applied to the first terminal 7 and to the second terminal 8 of the capacitor 4 for connecting the capacitor 4 to the lead frame 2. Poor or wrong parameters for setting up an epoxy material dispensing machine could then cause short-circuiting problem. The epoxy material might be mistakenly pasted or overflowed onto a middle part of the capacitor such that the epoxy material could bridge the first terminal and the second terminal. The embodiment avoids these problems by providing the clip fastened electrical and mechanical connections between the capacitor 4 and the lead frame 2.
The manufacturing process for making the electronic device 10 increases product quality of the embodiment. The embodiment of
In the case that the epoxy material would optionally be used for bonding the capacitor to the lead frame, there is extra machine setup time and scheduled down time provided for ensuring proper pasting of the epoxy material to the mounting base 5 and to the first clip 6. A multi-vision system would therefore also be required for post bond inspection of an epoxy pasted capacitor. The embodiment of
The embodiment also provides a reduced machine idle time for making the electronic device 10. This is because clip fastening of the capacitor 4 provides a short waiting time between manufacturing consecutive electronic devices 10 on a production line.
When epoxy material would be used as an extra process, the process of pre-molding prolongs overall lead-time of the electronic device. Incomplete molding of the capacitor could also occur. The molding process would then be a bottleneck for the process of epoxy material application. The embodiment of
The embodiment also does not require epoxy post-molding inspection for the clip fastened capacitor 4, which is beneficial for further decreasing product lead-time and material handling cost of the electronic device 10. When the epoxy material is optionally used, the process of post-molding inspection would be needed after the bonding process with the epoxy material. The process of post-molding inspection is provided for detecting incomplete molding of the epoxy material in the post-molding process. Additional time and machinery cost would then be required for the post-molding inspection.
The embodiment of
The lead frame 2 provides a supporting structure for mounting the semiconductor chip 3. The lead frame 2 can be provided as a metal frame or as a metal structure. Various forms are taken by the lead frame 2 at different stages of manufacturing process. At a beginning stage, the lead frame 2 is in a metal sheet form with punched holes. The lead frame 2 has a number of lead fingers and a die pad at an intermediate stage. The lead fingers can be used for external electrical connections, whilst the die pad is provided for supporting the semiconductor chip 3. Tie bars with a predetermined geometry are provided for holding parts of the lead frame 2 together during the intermediate stage. At a final stage, the lead frame 2 is further provided with bent lead fingers and detached parts after the tie bars are being cut off.
The capacitor 4 is a form of passive electronic components. Examples of the passive components are capacitors, resistors, diodes, etc. In contrast, examples of active components are batteries.
The semiconductor chip 3 can be replaced by a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) or by a nano-electromechanical system (NEMS). The first clip 6 can have different forms or mechanical equivalents, such as a clamp, a clasp or a catch, for fastening the capacitor 4. The capacitor 4 can be in a form of an electrolytic capacitor, a tantalum capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, a polyester film capacitor, a polystyrene film capacitor, a metalized polyester film capacitor, an electric double layer capacitor, a polypropylene capacitor, a mica capacitor, or a chip capacitor.
The electronic device includes a first clip 6 and a second clip 9. The first clip 6 and the second clip 9 are provided for clip fastening a first terminal 7 of the capacitor 4 and the second terminal 8 of the capacitor 4 respectively. The first clip 6 and the second clip 9 also electrically connect to the first terminal 7 and the second terminal respectively. The first clip 6 and the second clip 9 provide reliable and robust locking structure for securing and connecting the first terminal 7 and the second terminal 8 because the capacitor 4 is clip fastened at its two ends. The first clip 6 and the second clip 7 also conveniently provide different electrical polarity to the terminals 7, 8 of the clip fastened capacitor 4.
Detailed features of the first clip 6 and the second clip 9 are provided by the first curve-profiled clip 67 and the second curve-profiled clip 66 respectively in relation to
The storage capacitor 43, as an example, is placed inside a first curve-profiled clip 66 and a second curve-profiled clip 67, as can be best seen in
The clip fastened storage capacitor 43 includes a first terminal 75 and a second terminal 73. The first terminal 75 and the second terminal 73 are placed at opposite ends of the storage capacitor 43. The first curve-profiled clip 66 includes a first arm 56, a second arm 64, and a base 54. The first curve-profiled clip 66 and the second curve-profiled clip 67 have similar profiles and are spaced apart from each other, as can be seen in
The arms 56, 64 of the clip 67 are symmetrical to each other with respect to a centerline 63. The centerline 63 extends in a longitudinal direction of the clip 67.
The curve-profiled arms 56, 64 together with the base 54 of the clip 67 form a profile, which can be seen in
A gap 58 of the mouth portion having a width in a lateral direction is greater than a width 86 of the first terminal 75 of the storage capacitor 43. Below the mouth portion, the middle portions of the arms 56, 64 bend inwardly to form the neck portion of the profile. A gap 62 of the neck portion is lesser than the width 86 of the first terminal 75 of the storage capacitor 43. Below the neck portion, the lower portions of the arms 56, 64 form the chest portion. A gap 84 of the chest portion that is near the base 54 having a width greater than the width 86 of the first terminal 75 of the storage capacitor 43.
The pair 30 of curve-profiled clips 66, 67 is provided for securing the storage capacitor 43 to a lead frame. Both the first curve-profiled clip 66 and the second curve-profiled clip 67 are made from a copper alloy sheet and their arms 56, 64, 53, 55 are resilient. The base 54 offers support to the terminals 73, 75 of the storage capacitor 43. Referring to the first curve-profiled clip 67 as an example, the wide-opening mouth portion can guide the first terminal 75 of the storage capacitor 43 into the chest portion of the clip 67. The neck portion prevents the clip fastened storage capacitor 43 from escaping towards the mouth portion. The width 74 of the arms 56, 64 are made slightly greater than a length of the first terminal 75 for providing reliable gripping. The arms 56, 64, 53, 55 of the first curve-profiled clip 66 and the second curve-profiled clip 67 also electrically connect the terminals 75, 73 to the lead frame 26 of
The curve-profile of the clips 66, 67 helps to align the capacitor 43 when the capacitor 43 is being inserted into the clips 66, 67. The curve-profiled clips 66, 67 have mouth portions that are wider than the terminals 73, 75 of the capacitor 43. Furthermore, the neck portion of the curve-profiled clips 66, 67 are smooth so that the capacitor 43 does not experience large resistance during the clip fastening. The narrow neck portion further secures the inserted capacitor 43 onto the clips 66, 67.
In other words, no precision control is needed for the clip fastening. The clip fastening is performed with a simple insertion. Machine setup-time and schedule downtime are reduced. Moreover, the electronic circuit device 10 to be produced with increases quality.
Other forms of clips, which can be used for the electronic devices 10, 14 are described in relation to
The straight-profiled clip 60 includes parts that are similar to the parts of the curve-profiled clip 67 of
The straight-profiled clip 60 has a pair of arms 92, 98 extending upward from a top surface 109 of a base 108 of the clip 60 facing each other. The base 108 is an integral part of the lead frame 26. The two arms 92, 98 have similar profiles and are positioned apart to form a cavity. The arms 92, 98 are mostly symmetrical with respect to a centerline 83 that is provided in a middle position between the arms 92, 98 of the clip 60. Upper portions of the arms 92, 98 curve away from the centerline 83 and form a mouth portion of the straight-profiled clip 60 on top. A gap 96 of the mouth portion has a width greater than a width 81 of a second terminal 77 of a storage capacitor. Below the mouth portion of the straight-profiled clip 60, a neck portion and a chest portion formed by the arms 92, 98 have straight side portions perpendicular to the top surface 109. In other words, the neck portion and the chest portion of the straight-profiled clip 60 are mostly uniform in width and the width 81 of the neck portion and the width 106 of the chest portion is similar to a width 81 of the terminal 77. A height 104 of the neck portion and the chest portion is greater than a height 79 of the second terminal 77 of the storage capacitor. In other words, a height 102 of the arms 92, 98 is greater than the height 79 of the storage capacitor 43.
For interpreting the function of the embodiment illustrated in
The mouth portion of the straight-profiled clip 60 is designed to guide the second terminal 77 of the storage capacitor into the straight-profiled clip 60 during insertion. The straight portions of the straight-profiled clip 60 has treated surfaces so that the arms 92, 98 provide sufficient friction to clutch an inserted storage capacitor as well as offer electrical contacts when a capacitor is clip fastened between the arms 92, 98. The treatment can be chemical treatment or mechanical roughening, etc. The straight portions have relatively larger areas for better contacting the second terminal 77. Hence, the storage capacitor is gripped and electrically connected. The base 108 provides support to the second terminal 77 of the clip fastened storage capacitor. The treatment of the arms 92, 98 may be roughening or coating the surface of the arms 92, 98.
The W-profiled clip 70 includes parts that are similar to the parts of the curve-profiled clip 67 of
The W-profiled clip 70 has a pair of arms 116, 124 extending upwardly from a top surface 112 of a base 114 of the clip 70. The two arms 116, 124 are positioned apart and facing each other. The arms 116, 124 are mostly symmetrical with respect to a centerline 88 that is provided between the arms 116, 124 in a longitudinal direction. Upper portions of the arms 116, 124 curve away from each other to form a mouth portion opening towards top.
The mouth portion includes a gap 122 having a width greater than a width 89 of a second terminal 85 of a storage capacitor. Below the mouth portion, the arms 116, 124 of the W-profiled clip 70 bend inwardly towards each other such that a neck portion is formed whose gap 118 is lesser than the width 89 of the second terminal 85. Further below the neck portion, the arms 116, 124 of the W-profiled clip 70 are straight and perpendicular to a top surface 112 of the base 1 14. A chest portion is thus formed below the neck portion by the straight portions of the arms 118, 124. A lateral gap 134 of the chest portion at the base 114 of the W-profiled clip 70 has similar size compared to the width 89 of the terminal 85 of the storage capacitor. According to
For interpreting the function of the embodiment illustrated in
A wide lateral gap 122 of the mouth portion, as provided here, can guide the second terminal 85 of the storage capacitor entering into the chest portion of the W-profiled clip 70 for clip fastening. A narrow lateral gap 118 at the neck portion can stop the clip fastened storage capacitor from evading. Since the straight portions 127 of the arms 116, 124 provide close contact with the second terminal 85 of the storage capacitor, friction force between the arms 116, 124 and the second terminal 85 of the storage capacitor can offer electrical connection as well as reliable mechanical grasping. The W-profiled clip 70 forms a robust and reliable locking structure for mechanically holding and electrically connecting an inserted capacitor.
The embodiment of
The asymmetrical profiled clip 80 includes parts that are similar to the parts of the curve-profiled clip 67 of
On a right side of the symmetrical clip 80, there is an asymmetrical arm 138 extending vertically upward from a top surface 146 of a base 147 of the clip 80. On a left side of the symmetrical clip 67, there is a stopper 136 protruding upward from the top surface 146. The asymmetrical arm 138 and the stopper 136 are positioned at equal distance away from a centerline 93 that is provided at a middle position between the stopper 136 and the asymmetrical arm 138. A cavity is formed between the stopper 136 and the asymmetrical arm 138.
The asymmetrical arm 138 of the asymmetrical profiled clip 80 has similar configuration of the second arm 124 of the W-profiled clip 70 illustrated in
For interpreting the function of the embodiment illustrated in
The stopper 136 prevents the inserted storage capacitor from moving away when the second terminal 99 of the storage capacitor experiences biasing force from the asymmetrical arm 138 in cooperation with the stopper 136. Since the asymmetrical arm 138 is made resilient, the inserted storage capacitor can be gripped tightly by the asymmetrical arm 138 and the stopper 136 inside the chest portion of the clip 80. The asymmetrical arm 138 and the stopper 136 further connect the second terminal 99 to a lead frame electrically.
In order to adopt the capacitor clip fastening method, clips are pre-formed on a lead frame.
During stamping, a copper alloy sheet 164 is fed into a gap between the straight-forming dies 158, 162. The shoulders 163 of top straight-forming die 158 come down first and meet the elevations of the bottom straight-forming die 162 such that the copper alloy sheet 164 is clamped tightly. Following the clamping, the head 161 of the top straight-forming die 158 descends and punch a middle portion off the copper alloy sheet 164. Upon coming closer to a bottom surface of the slot of the bottom straight-forming die 162, the head 161 retreats upward and the whole top straight-forming die 158 ascends back to an initial position as illustrated in
During arm bending, the curve-formed copper alloy sheet 167 is inserted between the arm-bending dies 166, 168 and placed on top of the base 172. At this situation, two raised blocks 171 are below the base 172 such that the copper alloy sheet 167 is not contacted by the raised blocks 171. The top arm-bending die 168 descends first and the protruding tongue 169 of the top arm-bending die 168 touches the bottom arm-bending die 166 such that the perforated copper alloy sheet 167 is clamped tightly. Thereafter, two raised blocks 171 rise above a top surface of the base 172 so that the arms 92, 98 of the straight-profiled clip 60 are bent up. The arms 92, 98 of the straight-profiled clips 60 thus follow a profile of the bottom arm-bending die 166 in a profile illustrated in
The stamping process of
The sensor unit 20 is a type of electronic device 10, 20 with a sensing function. The sensor unit 20 includes a lead frame 26, a piezoresistive transducer (PRT) element 22 with a sensing diaphragm 21, a semiconductor chip 32, an ESD (electro-static discharge) capacitor 35, a filter capacitor 36, a storage capacitor 43 and bond wires 44. The storage capacitor 43 is a ceramic type capacitor.
As can be better seen in
The PRT element 22, the semiconductor chip 32, the ESD capacitor 35, the filter capacitor 36, and the storage capacitor 43 are positioned on top of the lead frame 26. In particular, the semiconductor chip 32 is placed on top of a die pad of the lead frame 26. The die pad is not illustrated in
The PRT element 22 and the semiconductor chip 32 are joined to the lead frame 26 by a plurality of bond wires 44. The PRT element 22 includes the sensing diaphragm 21.
As depicted in
The protective polymer gel 52 has mechanical properties that allow the sensing diaphragm 21 to expand or contract, even though the protective polymer gel 52 covers the sensing diaphragm 21.
As illustrated in
The capacitor 43 provides a non-interrupted electric power supply to the sensor unit 20. This can be illustrated by an example where the sensor unit 20 is a tire pressure sensor. The tire pressure sensor is typically installed inside the tire for continuous tire pressure monitoring. External power supply to the tire pressure sensor can be cut off when the tire experiences mechanical shocks due to speed humps or electromagnetic interferences. The external power supply can also be disconnected when the car is in a parking mode. The continuous sensing of tire pressure is useful for preventing potential traffic accidents due to a punctured or deflated tire.
Some examples of alternatives and the equivalents of the above embodiment illustrated in
The PRT element 22 and the semiconductor chip 32 may form an integral single unit. Locking structures are formed by the clip 29 together with the ESD capacitor 35, the clip 31 together with the filter capacitor 36, and the clip 33 together with the storage capacitor 43. The clip 29 may also exert a frictional force for fastening the ESD capacitor on the lead frame.
The sensor unit 20 may also include a combination of any of an ESD capacitor, an EMI capacitor, a filter capacitor and a storage capacitor. The filter capacitor 36, the ESD capacitor 35, and the storage capacitor 43 are examples of a capacitor or a passive electronic component.
The filter capacitor 36, the ESD capacitor 35, and the storage capacitor 43 are different forms of a passive component. The passive component can be in a form of a power storage unit. The arms 56, 64 of the first curve-profiled clips 66 are a form of two biasing arms. A first biasing arm 56 and a second biasing arm 64 can be each or together termed as a biasing element. The piezo-resistive transducer (PRT) element 22 is a type of a transducer. The transducer is a device, usually electrical, electronic, electromechanical, electromagnetic, photonic, or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy to another for various purposes, including measurement or information transfer.
In one embodiment, a single biasing arm together with the passive electronic component provides a locking structure. The mouth portion of the first curve-profiled clip 66 eases insertion of the passive electronic component into the first curve-profiled clip 66. A profile of the biasing arm conforms to a profile of the passive electronic component for providing reliable electrical and mechanical contacts. The surface of the biasing arm is treated to increase friction, to prevent corrosion or to enhance the electrical contact. The treatment can be a roughening or a coating of the surface of the biasing arm. The biasing arm is a form of a fastening means in the above-described embodiment.
The sensor unit 20 is intended for measuring pressure of the external fluid 46, which can be a gas, a liquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid.
The sensing diaphragm 21 has an electrical resistance that varies with displacements of the sensing diaphragm 21, such as expansions or contractions. The displacements vary with pressure exerted by the external fluid 46 onto the sensing diaphragm 21.
The PRT element 22 converts electrical resistance variations of the sensing diaphragm 21 to electrical signals for further processing by the semiconductor chip 32.
The bond wires 44 join both the PRT element 22 and the semiconductor chip 32 to the lead frame 26 in a predetermined manner in order to form an electronic device.
The semiconductor chip 32 processes the electrical signals received from the PRT element 22, and the semiconductor chip 32 communicates the processed electrical signals to other external electronic devices via the leads 38. The connector 42 provides suitable mechanical coupling to the other external electronic devices. The external electronic devices are not illustrated in both
The ESD capacitor 35, the filter capacitor 36, and the storage capacitor 43 assist in proper functioning of the sensing unit 20. The ESD capacitor 35 offers immunity against electro-static discharge. The ESD capacitor 35 may be replaced by an EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) capacitor to suppress electromagnetic interference. A filter capacitor 36 assists the sensor unit 20 to activate at low energy. A storage capacitor 43 provides backup power to the sensor unit 20 in the absence of external power supply.
The encapsulation compound 24 is provided for enclosing the lead frame 26, the PRT element 22, the semiconductor chip 32, the ESD capacitor 35, the filter capacitor 36, the storage capacitor 43, and the lead fingers. The encapsulation compound 24 is further provided for holding the enclosed components such that the enclosed components form the sensor unit 20. The encapsulation compound 24 is also provided for preventing the enclosed components from external harms, such as vibration, electromagnetic radiation, heat and moisture, etc.
Various types of clips can be used for securing the storage capacitor 43, the ESD capacitor 35, and the filter capacitor 36 to the lead frame 26. Some examples are given in the description based on
For assembly of the sensor unit 20, the following is done. The lead frame 26 with a substrate is provided. The semiconductor chip 32 and the PRT element 22 are then mounted onto the substrate. Later, the bond wires 44 are connected between the semiconductor chip 32 and the substrate as well as between the PRT element 22 and the substrate. The capacitors 35, 36, 43 are clip-fastened to the lead frame 26 respectively. After this, the lead frame 26 is covered with the encapsulation compound 24 by molding. The connector 42 is also formed by the molding. Molded encapsulation compound 24 has an opening that exposes the semiconductor chip 32, the PRT element 22 and the capacitors 35, 36, 43. Tie bars, which holds the clips 29, 31, 33 to the lead frame 26 are then cut off. The top of the PRT element 22 is afterwards covered with the protective gel 52.
In particular, a process of clip-fastening the storage capacitor 43 is illustrated in relation to
Firstly, a pickup tool 57 lifts the storage capacitor 43 and positions the storage capacitor 43 for insertion into the pair of curve-profiled clips 66, 67, as illustrated in
The pick up tool 57 then lowers down the storage capacitor 43 and reaches the upper portions of the arms 53, 55, 56, 64, as illustrated in
The mouth portions of the curve-profiled clips 66, 67 guide the insertion when the terminals 73, 75 of the storage capacitor 43 touch and glide over the upper portions of the arms 53, 55, 56, 64 of the pair of curve-profiled clips 66, 67.
The arms 53, 55, 56, 64 of the curve-profiled clips 66, 67 are then forced apart as the terminals 73, 75 touches the neck portions of the curve-profiled clips 66, 67 in the process of insertion. The storage capacitor 43 passes the neck portions as the storage capacitor 43 is further pushed down by the pickup tool 57 until both the terminals 73, 75 of the storage capacitor 43 reach the bases 54. Resilient force of the arms 53, 55, 56, 64 then causes the arms 53, 55, 56, 64 to spring back to their original position and secures the storage capacitor 43. Thereafter, the pickup tool 57 releases the storage capacitor 43.
Later, the pick up tool 57 is detached from the storage capacitor 43 and the pickup tool 57 departs from the pair of curve-profiled clips 66, 67, as illustrated in
The insertion of the storage capacitor 43 into the pair of curve-profiled clips 66, 67 may elastically deform or plastically deform the arms 53, 55, 56, 64, depending if the deformation exceed resilient range of the clips 66, 67.
The curve-profiled clip 66 eases an insertion of the terminal 75 of the capacitor 43 with a curved opening. The curved opening can be deformed for receiving various forms or sizes terminals. The deformation is resilient such that the biasing arms 56, 64 of the embodiment tightly hold the capacitor 43 in place even when the capacitor 43 is provided in a vibrating environment. This thereby provides electrical connections to the capacitor 43 are robust.
Although the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but merely providing illustration of the foreseeable embodiments. Especially the above stated advantages of the embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but merely to explain possible achievements if the described embodiments are put into practice. Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the claims and their equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments illustrated and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. An integrated circuit device comprising:
- a lead frame comprising at least one clip;
- a capacitor comprising at least one terminal, the at least one terminal being received in the at least one clip; and
- a semiconductor chip attached to the lead frame.
2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the at least one clip and the capacitor provide a locking structure.
3. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the at least one clip exerts a frictional force for fastening the capacitor on the lead frame.
4. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the at least one clip comprises two biasing arms, the two biasing arms resiliently fasten the capacitor to the lead frame.
5. The integrated circuit device of claim 4, wherein the two biasing arms of the at least one clip comprise upper portions, the upper portions of the at least one clip curve away from each other such that the upper portions of the at least one clip form mouth portions, the mouth portion comprising a gap comprising a width wider than the width of the at least one terminal of the capacitor.
6. The integrated circuit device of claim 5, wherein the biasing arms of the at least one clip further comprise neck portions adjacent to the mouth portions respectively, the neck portions comprising gaps having a width narrower than the width of the at least one terminal of the capacitor.
7. The integrated circuit device of claim 4, wherein the two biasing arms of the at least one clip comprise a roughened surface.
8. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 further comprising a transducer for sensing an environmental parameter, the transducer being electrically connected with the semiconductor chip.
9. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein the transducer comprises a piezoresistive transducer (PRT) element for pressure sensing.
10. An electronic device comprising:
- a lead frame comprising at least one clip, the at least one clip comprising at least one biasing element;
- a passive electronic component, the at least one clip electrically connecting and mechanically fastening the passive electronic component to the lead frame; and
- a semiconductor chip, the semiconductor chip being electrically connected with the lead frame.
11. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a transducer for sensing an environmental parameter, the transducer being electrically connected with the semiconductor chip.
12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein at least one biasing element comprises a first biasing arm being integrally formed with the lead frame.
13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein at least one biasing element further comprises a second biasing arm, the second biasing arm being integrally formed with the lead frame, the second biasing arm and the first biasing arm being arranged to clip fasten the passive electronic component on the lead frame.
14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the at least one clip further comprises a stopper being integrally formed with the lead frame, the stopper and the first biasing arm being arranged to clip fasten the passive electronic component on the lead frame.
15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one passive electronic component comprises a storage unit for storing electric energy.
16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the storage unit comprises a capacitor.
17. A method of producing an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a lead frame, the lead frame comprising a clip with two biasing arms;
- providing a semiconductor chip on the lead frame; and
- inserting a capacitor into the clip.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of inserting the capacitor comprises the step of deforming a part of the clip.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of deforming the part of the clip comprises the step of widening a neck portion of the clip.
20. The method of claim 17 comprising the further step of providing a transducer for sensing to the electronic device.
21. The method of claim 17 comprising the further step of encapsulating at least part of the lead frame with an encapsulating compound.
22. The method of claim 21 comprising the further step of covering the at least part of the transducer with a gel.
23. A method of producing an electronic device comprising the steps of:
- providing a lead frame with at least one clip, the at least one clip comprising at least one biasing element,
- providing a semiconductor chip on the lead frame, and
- inserting a passive electronic component into the at least one clip.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of inserting a passive electronic component into the at least one clip comprises the step of deforming a part of the at least one clip.
25. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of deforming the part of the at least one clip comprises the step of widening a neck portion of the at least one clip.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 26, 2007
Publication Date: Jul 2, 2009
Patent Grant number: 8116102
Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG (Neubiberg)
Inventors: Chee Peng Wong (Sembilan), Tiam Sen Ong (Melaka), Guan Choon Tee (Melaka)
Application Number: 11/964,241